8 Community Service Ideas to Help Others ...

A food drive is a simple community service idea. You can go around and ask your neighbors, fellow employees, or church to offer canned goods for donation. After you have collected enough food, take it to a local food bank that gives food to those in needs. While there you can ask about other ways you can help. They may need volunteers to work in the food bank or help with a community outreach project.

Parks get dirty. People litter. It’s sad. Luckily we can all chip in and help. Get some friends together and before heading out for a fun night, meet at the park with a few trash bags and pick up. You could also try this at the beach. It's amazing how much you can get done in an hour with a group of friends. The key to any good community service idea is to get a group of people to serve with you.

Your town probably has a shelter for women who have been battered. Often times these women show up with their children. They may have left extremely bad situations with nothing but the clothes on their backs. How can you help? The women’s shelter may be in need of clothes, baby items and toiletries. If you are a hairstylist you could volunteer to come in and give these women a free cut. I bet there are plenty of other ways a women’s shelter could use your help as well.

Pregnancy centers need your help too. It’s another great community service idea. Sometimes young women come into pregnancy centers not knowing what the next step is. They are trying to make tough decisions about the best thing to do in their personal situations. As a volunteer you can reach out to these women and be a listening ear. Educate them on all the options and offer support. Some centers also have classes to help these young women learn how to care for a child and learn important life skills. Does this sound like something you would be interested in doing?

The sad truth is sometimes elderly people are left in nursing homes and rarely visited by family. By simply spending a couple hours a month or once a week you can really make a lasting impression on these people’s lives and brighten their day. This is a community service idea that doesn’t require much from you. All you need to provide is a smiling face and little friendly conversation.

My husband and I talked about volunteering at a soup kitchen for a while now. As a volunteer you are given the chance to help prepare and serve food to the homeless and less fortunate people. I imagine it is a very humbling experience to volunteer at a soup kitchen that makes a big difference in these people’s lives. In some cases going to a soup kitchen for dinner is the only meal people get all day.

Think of all the cute little puppies and kittens. These poor guys didn’t ask to be abandoned or mistreated. It’s not realistic to try to adopt all the animals at the shelter, but you can help in plenty of other ways. Animal shelters are always in need of donations. They will take things like dog and cat food, cat litter, blankets, toys and money. You can also offer them your time. They may need help caring for the animals.

Some children don’t have the best role models in their lives. They could really use a strong woman to mentor them. Big Sisters is a community service program that does just that. You sign up and go through a screening. Once approved you are appointed a little sister that you visit with frequently. How awesome would it be to make a positive imprint on a young girl’s life? Because of your selfless giving of yourself you may influence her away from drugs, poor relationships, and other bad choices.

Big or little, any community service idea you decide to try will make a difference. Most programs just need someone to step up and help out. How are you willing to help? What are some community service ideas you have been a part of? Share your experience to encourage others to volunteer too.

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